Transient Electronics Dissolve in Liquid

Posted Dec 10, 2013 4:37:37 PM |
Posted

Biomedical engineers have created electronic devices that wink out of existence at a predetermined point in time. They’re called transient electronics and are the result of a collaboration of Tufts University, University of Illinois and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

The engineers build tiny electronic systems on ultrathin sheets of silicon of a few tens of nanometers thick. When exposed to liquid like water or bio fluids the device dissolves breaking down in traces of silicon and magnesium. Because of the small amount these components can be harmlessly assimilated by bio systems like the human body.